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These two postcards were the property of Driver Clements who wrote on the reverse the salient details of the test. I was given these by his descendants.

The two pictures, scans of a pair of torn, battered and browning images, show (1) the front of the engine, (2) the other shows the leading offside axle box. Picture 1 was taken to show where the men watching the axle box therometers was stiting. Each on a low, wooden seat with sacking for cushioning, one over each buffer. Picture 2 shows one of these men, in position, his back to direction of travel, wearing a heavy overcoat with the collar turned up. Both men sat there at speeds up to 102 mph. There are no signs of any restraints in these pictures.

The only book published on the history of the original GWR main line from the 56 1/2 mile post, Steventon to th 83rd mile post, Wootton Bassett. 50k words of history, 200 illustrations of stations signalling and signal boxes and the signal box diagrams.

The History Press 2013

A month by month history of the GWR in 1947. Its business and its ‘incidents’. All writing drawn from GWR documents.

Amberley Press 2011

Amberley Press 2011

Amberley Press 2011

The only book published on this piece of the GWR.

Ian Allan 2010. The only book published as a compilation of I.K Brunel’s business and private letters.

Ian Allan 2009.

An astonishing account of privatised incompetence and irresponsibility.

Ian Allan 2003.

Paperback 2nd ed. Includes the story of the Ladbroke Grove disaster, brought about by privatised incompetence.

Ian Allan 2006.

The true story of Britain’s unusual railway engineer. Drawn entirely from contemporary records.

42210 lifting the rear half of a heavy freight on the 1 in 75 Shap Incline and about to pass the level crossing and signal box at Scout Green. March 1966.

42210 has just finished banking a train up Grayrigg bank from Oxenholme and is running forward to use the crossover at Grayrigg, either to cross to the Up Main and return at once to Oxenholme or to go into the Up Goods Loop to await a path down the hill. Taken from the soorway of Grayrigg signal box. John Gardner, signalman. When I visitd he WCML/S&C from the Swindon area I went for a few days and lodged at John’s house in Sebergh. He releived signal boxes at Oxeholme, Grayrigg, Garsdale and Ais Gill.

42210, running home to Tebay, in evening sun after a hard day on the bank. March 1966

My collection contains hundreds of negatives of railway scenes taken in UK and Republic of Ireland between 1900 – or earlier – and the 1980s. I would be pleased to be able to sell dark room prints or scans sent down the wire in an e-mail or on a CD or memory stick. Many of the negatives are very pictorial and would make large size prints to frame and hang on a wall. There are pictures of locomotives or of signalling interest of station scenes. I might just have the very picture you are looking for – or I might not. You could e-mail me and tell me what you are looking for. If you’d prefer to write me a letter please email me for my home address.